This document discusses verb tenses and types of verbs in English grammar. It explains the simple present, past, and future tenses and how they are formed. It also covers the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses. Modal verbs like can, could, should and must are described. The uses of do, does and did as auxiliary verbs are provided. Finally, it discusses irregular verbs and their past and past participle forms.

1. Action Words
(Verbs)

2. Grammatically, the verb is the most important
word in the sentence. If you can find the verb
and manage it properly, your grammar and usage
problems will be solved easily. Every sentence
must contain a word that tells what is happening.
That is the verb.
Most verbs change their forms to tell time of
an action, event, or condition. They are the only
part of speech that can do so. This fact can help
you decide which word in the sentence is the
verb.

3. Tense
Generally, verbs change their forms to indicate the
present, past, and future time. Tense means “time”. There
are three simple tenses and three perfect tenses for each
verb. They are formed as follows:
1.) Simple Present Tense
The present tense is used under the following
conditions:
a. To talk about something that exists at the
present moment

4. Examples:
The boxes are in the storage room.
This milk smells sour.
John loves reading.
b. To express something that is generally true or
true at all times
Examples:
All living things need oxygen
The earth moves around the sun.
Fruits and vegetables are good for the body.

5. c. To indicate repeated or regular and habitual
action
Examples:
We attend classes regularly.
Department stores usually open at 9:00 am.
I visit my doctor every month.
d. To describe some action or state of being in the
past as though it is occurring in the present.
Example:
The captain picks up the key and opens the
room while the masked intruder watches
anxiously in the dark.

6. 2.) Simple Past Tense
The past tense is used to indicate an action which
happened in the past.
Examples:
I ate a heavy breakfast this morning.
Lucy came to my office last month.
We recorded this music last night.
John took them to the airport last night.
The guest arrived late.
3.) Simple Future Tense
The future tense is shown by using shall or will
with the base form of the verb. It is used to indicate
an action which to be done sometime in the future.

7. The future tense may also be illustrated by using
the verbs to be auxiliary or helping verb (am, is,
are) plus the present form of the verb, or the
phrase about to with the present form of the verb.
Examples:
Our guest speaker will arrive before the
program starts.
Grace is going to see her doctor next week.
We shall watch the school play on Sunday.
They are about to start the program.

8. 4.) Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used under the following
conditions:
a. To express an action or state of being at some
indefinite time in the past
Examples:
We have heard that story several times
already.
Luis has visited Japan many times.
b. To show action or state of being that began in
the past and continues into the present

9. Examples:
Mrs. Santos has lived in Manila for 15 years.
(She still lives there.)
The girls have started to practice since this
morning.
5.) Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense tells of an action or state
of being completed in the past before some other
action occurred. This is formed by using had with the
past participle of the verb.

10. Examples:
Earlier Later
We had finished writing before the teacher came. Marie
had taken the test before the letter arrived.
Mark had waited for an hour before the dean came.
6.) Future Perfect Tense
This is formed by using will have or shall have
with the past participle of the verb. This used to tell
an action to be completed in the future before
some other action or state of being takes place.

11. Examples:
By the time the sun sets, he will have written the
conclusion of his report.
Before the museum closes, the exhibit will have
had one hundred visitors.
* Students are always faced with this perennial
problem in verb usage: forming the past tense and
the past participle of the regular and the irregular
verbs.

12. Regular verbs
form the past and the past participle by adding
-d or -ed.
Present Past Past Participle
pray prayed prayed
change changed changed
cook cooked cooked
Irregular verbs
 form their past and the past participle by changing the
structure or spelling of the verb.

13. Present Past Past Participle
bear bore borne
beat beat beaten
begin began begun
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
bring brought brought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came came
do did done
draw drew drawn

14. drink drank drunk
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
fight fought fought
flee fled fled
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
grow grew grown
know knew known
lead led led
lend lent lent
lie ( to recline) lay lain

15. lay (to place) lay laid
lose lost lost
ride rode ridden
rise rose risen
say said said
see saw seen
shake shook shaken
shine shone shose
slay slew slain
speak spoke spoken
tear tore torn

16. This are verbs which do not change in their
present, past, and past participle forms.
Present Past Past Participle
burst burst burst
cost cost cost
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
set set set
shut shut shut
spread spread spread

17. 7.) Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive is used to indicate an
action that is currently in progress.
Examples:
Judith is delivering her speech now.
The basketball team is playing in the gym.
8.) Past Progressive Tense
The past progressive tense is used to indicate
past action in progress before another past action
occurred.

18. Examples:
The teacher was lecturing when the
communion took place.
They were walking when they saw a man hit
by a speeding car.

19.  Modal Verbs
1. Can and could (negative: can’t and
couldn’t)
 Can is used to express possibility and ability and
could is used as the simple past of could. They are
used under the following conditions:

20. A. To express ability
Examples:
 Rachelle can speak French.
 Mico can play the piano.
 Justine can’t attend the party.
 I could dance the Hawaiian when I was young.

21.  B. To express possibility
Examples:
 We know you can finish our report.
 George play the role of Julius Caesar.
 Josephine couldn’t come last night.

22.  C. To give and deny permission
Examples:
 You can sleep here if you want to.
 She can’t come with us today.
 When we were students, we couldn’t wear short
skirts and dresses.
 D. To ask permission (politely)
Examples:
 Can I offer you anything?
 Could you please leave the room right away?

23.  2. Should and ought
The use of should and ought is similar. Should,
however, is followed by the base form of the verb,
where ought is used with infinitive to.
They are used under the following conditions:
A. To give advice
Examples:
 We should drink plenty of water.
 Children ought to obey their parents.

24.  B. To recommend, to anticipate, and to state a
present situation
Examples:
 You should read Maya Angelou’s novels.
 The guests ought to attend the morning mass.
 This door shouldn’t be opened at anytime.

25.  3. May and might
May and might are used for expressing
possibility, asking and giving permission, and
expressing wishes for the future.
Examples:
 Roger might come after all.
 Diana may use the computer anytime she wants to.
 The students might not be allowed to attend the
concert.
 May I use your phone?

26.  4. Must
Must is used to express obligation, certainty,
probability, and necessity.
Examples:
 We must eat fruits and vegetables all the time.
 The team must practice more often.
 You must always follow traffic rules.
 I must not leave the house without asking my
parent’s permission.

27. Auxiliary Do, Does, and Did
Another problem that students encounter is the use of
do, does, and did.
These verbs are used under the following
conditions:
1. To indicate an action or situation true at the
present time and in the past.
 Does is used in the third person singular, present
time.
 Do is used in the first person, second person, and
third person plural.
 Did is the past form of do and does.

28. Examples:
 Mico does his work well.
 Nicole and Justine do their project together.
 Jaymah and Rachelle did not participate in
the game.
 2. To frame question which requires either
the present or past action response
Examples:
 Do you speak French?
Answer: Yes, I do/ I do.
No, I don’t.

29.  Does your job require intensive writing?
Answer: Yes, it does.
No, it doesn’t.
 Did you forget the key?
Answer: Yes, I did.
No, I didn’t.

30.  Reference:
Sebastian, Evelyn L., Cayao, Erlinda A., Asuncion,
Risa P., Reyes, Shirly B., English Proficiency 1
Second Edition 2013, page.,87-95